Abstract
ABSTRACT Green manure may lead to physical, chemical, and biological improvements to the soil. However, the information on its use in the Brazilian Northeast is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the phenological cycle and phytomass productivity of seven legume species. This study was conducted in the second semester of 2015 in a completely randomized design with seven treatments and four replications. Plant height, fresh mass of shoot (FMS), dry mass of shoot (DMS), fresh mass of root (FMR), and dry mass of root (DMR) were determined at 100 days after sowing. Germination, flowering, and pod maturation were also assessed. The highest averages of FMS were observed in Crotalaria breviflora and Crotalaria mucronata, followed by Canavalia ensiformis, whereas the highest averages of DMS were observed in C. breviflora, C. ensiformis, C. mucronata, and Cajanus cajan cv. IAPAR 43. The highest averages of FMR were obtained by C. breviflora and C. mucronata, followed by C. cajan cv. Fava Larga. The species C. mucronata, C. cajan cv. IAPAR 43, and C. breviflora presented the highest averages of DMR. In addition, C. juncea, C. ensiformis, and C. cajan cv. IAPAR 43 were the earlier species regarding flowering, while C. cajan cv. Fava Larga was the later species. C. juncea was the earliest among all studied species regarding pod maturation. The tested legume species obtained promising initial results during the assessment period, being able to meet the expectations of biomass production and contributing to soil sustainability in this region.
Highlights
Inappropriate modes of arable land occupation and the need for a rapid food production, coupled with economic interests in the search for profitability in the agricultural sector have contributed to the worsening of environmental degradation and increasing of these imbalances
This study aimed to observe the phenological cycle and assess the phytomass productivity of different legume species used as green manure in sandy soils of the Coastal Tablelands of the Piauí State, Brazil
The results obtained for C. juncea (T3), C. ensiformis (T4), and C. cajan cv
Summary
Inappropriate modes of arable land occupation and the need for a rapid food production, coupled with economic interests in the search for profitability in the agricultural sector have contributed to the worsening of environmental degradation and increasing of these imbalances. This dynamic has caused severe changes in soil physical, chemical, and biological attributes, which, together with the acceleration of organic matter mineralization (with consequent reduction of soil fertility), have led different production systems to a decreased production potential in several regions of Brazil and world (CALEGARI, 2014). The significant growth in participation of organic agriculture in the national and international market and the dependence of its certification to standardized norms have pressured farmers in the search for organic technologies, which often lack scientific criteria or validations (PEIXOTO et al, 2008)
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